Protective insulating mat



Feb. 6, 1962 A. cALvAREsl PROTECTIVE INSULATING-MAT Filed May 13, 1959 &

INVENTOR. Archie Ca/vares B/ M ATTORNEY United States Patent() 3,020,183PROTECTIVE INSULATING MAT Archie Calvaresi, 3075 W. 61st Ave., Denver,Colo. Filed May 13, 1959, Ser. No. 812,879 1 Claim. (Cl. 154-44) Thisinvention relates to thermal insulating members selectively applicableto and removable from protective relation with areas of diverseparticularity, and more especially to thermal insulating members formedas mats adapted for manual usage, and has anA object to provide a noveland improved organization of lelements constituting a practical andoperatively-efficient protective insulat-l and convenient manipulabilityin relation to effective area' and protective properties.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction and unitary correlatiorrof elements constituting aprotective insulating mat of pronounced use ef'rlciency and widepractical adaptability.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedprotective insulating mat4 particularly adapted for advantageous use bycommercial' gardeners and truck farmers. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedprotective insulating mat, that is durable under rigorous andvadverseuse conditions, that is amenable to quick and inexpensive repair, andthat applies with practical advantage the properties of materialproducts forms recently become available. Y

n With the foregoing` and other objects in view, my invention consistsin the construction, arrangement, and operative combination of elementsas hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated bythe accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of atypical embodiment of the invention as organized and extended forpractical use.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section, on a relatively enlarged scale andwith an intermediate portion broke away to conserve space, through andtaken substantially on the indicated line 2--2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, detail section, on a further enlarged scale,through the structural arrangement shown at the right-hand end of FIGURE2 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, detail section, on the same scale as FIGURE3, taken subsantially on the indicated line 4-4 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of an alternativestructural arrangement appropriate to give elect to the principles ofthe invention.

It is, in many and diverse activities, occasionally imperative toprotect exposed surfaces and areas from the effect of temporaryalterations in temperature. Incident to the techniques of raisingvegetables for the commercial market it is economically essential thatseedlings propagated in hot beds, and the equivalent, be protected fromdamaging reaction to lowered temperatures accompanying belated winterstorms and from the chill frequently characterizing nights during thespring season. The exigencies of many other activities, such as theinstallation of cement and concrete walks, pavements, aprons, andfoundations, are attended by the occasional necessity for protectivelycovering exposed surfaces to obviate or to minimize damaging effectthereon deriving from an inopportune change of temperature in either ices direction. The conditions establishing occasion for the use ofprotective insulating covers have been long prevalent and have inspiredthe development and use of various expedients attended by variablepractical success, and it is hence to the provision of a novel,improved, practical, efficient, and economical protective insulating matadapted for production in desired sizes and particular embodimentssuited to specific uses that the instant invention is directed. l

As typified by FIGURES 1-4, inclusive, the principles o f the inventionmay be applied to and given effect in a rectangular mat unit ofsubstantial area adapted to be rolled and folded to compact form andexpedient of manipulation by a single individual in consequence of the'light weight in proportion to size resulting from its novelconstruction. Significant to attainment of its purposes and realizationof its advantages, the mat unit of the invention is enclosed within andcompletely covered by strong, flexible, substantially non-extensible,air and water impermeable sheet material of expedient nature, such asthe synthetic'resins and so-called plastics commercially available,organized in any appropriate manner to constitute an envelope of apreferred area having coextensive, complementary, exposed surfaces 10and 11. The mat surfaces 10 and 11 may be initially separate andsubsequently united at their corresponding long margins in any practicalmanner to complete a at envelope open at its ends, or, alternatively,when suitable material is available in tubular form *ofv acceptablesize, the envelope may Abe constituted as an open-end length of tubularmaterial flattened to develop the surfaces 10 and 11 in closely# spacedrelationship, as is indicated by FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing. Howeverparticularly constituted, the envelope characterized by the surfaces 10and 11 houses a filler runit 12 of uniform'thickness and of an areaade.-

' quate to substantially filll the envelope with the surfaces 10 and 11thereby smoothly'extended. As a feature of the invention', the filler 12is a readily-flexible unit having a low coefficient of heat conductivityand hence advantageous insulating properties, and is resilient to adegree resistive of permanent deformation under compression, all ofwhich properties are found to be evidenced by glass fiber webs ofnominal cost and ready availability. Matted or felted glass fibermaterial having normally exposed surfaces tending to lacerate and damagenon-rigid surfaces wherewith they are engaged, it is a further featureof the invention that the parallel exposed faces of the filler 12coactable with the surfaces 10 and 11 wherebetween the filler isintroduced be covered by protective sheets 13, of tough, heavy paper, orthe equivalent, functioning to separate the material of the filler 12from direct lacerating contact with the surfaces 10 and 11 when theassembly of filler and envelope is completed.

The mat unit comprised from the envelope typified by the surfaces 10,11, and the filler 12 therebetween, is organized for its intended use ina practical and convenient manner through the provision of stiff rods 14of lightweight material disposed longitudinally of and within theenvelope in engagement with and between the long side margins of theller 12 and envelope, to which latter said rods are desirably secured bymeans of an adhesive coating 15A disposed to interbond contacting areasof each rod and the envelope portion embracing the same. As will beapparent, the rods 14 may be solid, as represented, tubular, or of anyother appropriate structural form and particularity, the function of therods 14 being to maintain length extension of the mat and to serve asspreaders useful in the placing and manipulation of the mat unit.

The filler 12 is inserted within the envelope and between the surfaces10 and 11 thereof in association with rods 14 as shown and described ina length of filler and rods slightly less than that of the envelope,Whereafter the otherwise open ends of the envelope are closed andsealed, as at 16, to complete the mat unit ready for its intendedservice; such sealing of the envelope ends being readily accomplishedthrough the application of heat in a usual and well-known manner whenthe material of the envelope is of thermo-plastic nature,

Constituted as shown and described, the improved mat unit is a practicalfacility employable` in multiple to tem-- porarily cover and protectareas subject to transient or intermittent temperature variations.Conveniently foldable or rollable parallel to and by means of the rods14, the unit is compact for storage, transportation, and handling, and-is marked by pronounced facility of use resulting from the presence ofthe rods 14 and Jtheir extending end stiffeningelect upon the matwherevvith they serve as grips permitting a single individual to placeand position the unit. The nature and properties of the glass fiber llerpromote high insulating performance of the unit while preserving adesirable degree of flexibility therein, and such properties of thefiller are preserved for use by the impermeable nature of the envelopeconfining the same; it being quite impossible for moisture to collectwithin the ller whereV it might adversely increase the weight of theunit, lessen the insulating properties of the ller, and be subject tofreezing at low temperatures. Should the surfaces and 11 of the envelopebe torn or damaged, repair is a simple operation performable at the siteof mat use through the agency of available patching means or facilities,and with ordinary care the mat units exemplifying the principles of theinvention are characterized bylogenduring life of repef titiouspractical use. v

As typified by FIGURE V5., the principles of the invention may be giveneffect in an elongated sheet unit ap-` propriate for certain specificuses, such as the covering of freshly-laid; cement or concrete. Insteadof a single envelope. comprised from the surfaces 10 and 11,complementar'y sheets 10 and 11' of any preferred Widthand length and`of lmaterial they same as that distinguishing the surfaces 10 and 11 maybe marginally conjoined at: their long sides in any suitable manner to.envelope a succession of marginallyfjuxtaposed ller's 12 sandwichedbetween their protective sheets 13 and separated one from the other bymeans of rods 14', in all respects equivalent to the rods 14, transverseof the resulting assembly in a preferably-uniform, spaced parallelism.Manifestly, the embodiment of the invention according to FIGURE 5functions as a protective insulation cover exactly as explained inconnection with the single unit mat as above set forth and ischaracterized byfacility of handling and placement resulting from theprovision of the rods 14' and is amenable to rolling or folding on linestransverse of its length to develop the obvious and correspondingadvantages.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction,and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood asbeing limited solelyby the scope of the appended claim, rather than byany details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

A protective insulating mat comprising aat, rectangular,marginally-sealed envelope of tough wearand waterresistant, flexible,air and water impermeable material, a flat, exible, brousfiller unit ofhigh heat-insulating capacity covextensively within said envelope, meansexibly inhibiting lacerating contact ofradjacent envelope and fillerunit surfaces, and operatively-rigid rods secured in spaced parallelisminteriorly along opposite outer edges of said envelope, whereinsaid rodsare smoothly cylindrical Vin adhesively-bonded coaction with envelopeedge zones thereby extended.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,637,497 vODowd g l Aug. 2, 19,27 1,691,783 Mot, eiler et al. g Nov.13, 1928 2,113,068 McLaughlin ;g Apr. 5, 1938 2,278,732 Parsons .Y Apr.7, 1942A 2,501,540 Ryan j .f. Mar. 21, 1950 2,779,066 Gaugler et al;Ian. 29, 1,957' 2,867,035 Patterson Ian. 6, 1,959

